Conveyer-chain.



ALEXANDER M. SORBER, OF NEWELL, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGHCOAL WASHER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYL CONVEYER-CHAIN.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1911..

- Application filed April 7, 1911.. Serial No. 830,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. Son- BER, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newell, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConveyer- Qhains, of whichthe following is a specificatlon.

My invention consists of an improvement in conveyer chains or chains forany similar purpose, composed of series of connected links and providedwith bearin or carrying rollers, and it has for its ob]ect to provide ina chain of such type for the pivotal connection of the links and themounting of the pivotal stud, bushing and roller, as here inafter morefully described. Ordinarily, where the roller is merely mounted upon thepivotal pin, it rapidly wears and deteriorates, and where bushings havebeen employed, they have been subject to derangement and breakage, dueto the in-- effective means for continuously positioning them.

In my invention, 1 have provided for fixedly holding theconnectingpivotal pin or bolt in the outer link terminals and the fixedpositioning an holding of the surrounding bushingin tli'e'inner linkterminals, whereby to insure relative positioning of the bolt andbushing and providing for rotatable mounting of the carrying rollerbetween the terminals of the inner links upon such bushing.

Preferred forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view showing one arrangement of links andillustrating the construction.

Fig. 2 is a view in sectional elevation, indiin standard construction toprovide ample space for the teeth of the driving sprocket mechanism andfor the carrying rollers 5.

For the purpose of connecting the several pairs of links 2, I providethe usual pin 6 extending through the overlapping terminals of the linksand preferably secured against longitudinal movement by any suit-' ablemeans, as rivet heads 7, 7'.

One endof the pin 6 is squared, as indicated at 8, adjacent to itsformed head 7, of

a depth substantially equaling the thickness" of the link, and the outerend of the link at one side is provided with a correspondingly squaredcavity 9 extending inwardly toward,

the other end of the link, whereby to receive and fixedly hold the shankof the bolt against rotation.

The other side of the hole or eye of the link is semi-circular, asindicated at 10, of

usual form. The remaining'portion of .the pin 6 is cylindrical, asusual, extending out: wardly, as indicated in dotted lines atll,

whereby it may be swaged down to provide the rivet head 7, or providedwith a cotter pin, or otherwise secured in position. I

By this construction it will beseen that the pin 6 is fixedly held byits shoulder 8 by one of the outer link terminals, at each joint, sothat it will be uniformly maintained in the same position with relationto said link portions.

The inner link terminals 3, which embrace the bolt 6, are provided withenlarged eyes or holes 12, for the rece tion of the roller-carryingbushing or thim le 13. g It is desirable that such bushin be alsofixedly held in the inner termina s of the links, so that it willprovide a stationary bushing mounting for the roller 5. such purpose theinner portion of the hole 12 longitudinally of the link 2 is providedwith a socket or recess 14, preferably squared or otherwise shaped, andone end of the bushing 13 is swaged outwardly, as indicated at 15,providing an inter-engaging lug';

Said lug interfits with recess 14 and e1'- For fectually holds thebushing 13 against ro- Provision is made for free flem'bility of thejoint when passing around bends, the pin 6 turning with the llnks towhich it is secured within the bushing 13.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the links are continuouslystraight, consistin of alternating pairs of inner links 3 and outerlinks 4. fixedly connected with one of the inner links 3 by means of thedeflected lug 15 at one end, interfitting with a suitable receivingrecess 14*, while the bolt 6 is provided at one end with a square orpolygonal shoulder 8f seated in a receiving recess 9 of the outer linkfor the same purpose.

It will be observed that the construction and operation is substantiallythe same as above described, except that the links, bein straight, theinner links only are provide with the lug-receiving recesses 14*, andthe outer links only are provided with the recesses 9 The bolts andbushings may be arranged with regard to the endwise location oftheshoulders 8 and lugs 15, as desired, either alternating or otherwise,as preferred, it being only necessary to hold the bolts and bushings atone end; in fact they being only capable of insertion when such featuresare at one end only.

The advantages of the construction will be readily appreciated by allthose familiar with this class of mechanism.

I completely avoid the liability of derangement or unequal orunnecessary wear of the working parts. The construction is simple,eificient and economical, not liable to get out of order, worn parts maybe readily replaced or substituted by the user, and the In such case,the bushing 13 is construction as a whole is well adapted to secure theobjects in view.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In a chain joint of the class described, th combination of a pair oflaterally spaced links having their terminals at one end spaced apartfor clearance of a roller, each of said terminals having a circularbushing opening and the opening of one of said links having a lateralrecess, a cylindrical bushing having a central bolt cavity fitting byitsends in said openings flush with the outer faces of the linkterminals and having at one end a longitudinally slitted pressed out lugengaging said lateral recess, a link member having outer link terminalsembracing said first named link terminals and provided with pin engagingholes registering with the bushing cavlty, one of said outer linkterminals having a lateral squared recess co-extensive with the diameterof the pin hole and both of said outerterminals confining said bushingagainst longitudinal movement, a central pin extending through saidouter link terminals and the bushing and having terminal retaining headsand provided with a laterally squared shoulder engaging the squaredrecess of the outer link termmal, and a roller rotatably mounted on.

the bushing between the inner link terminals, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ALEXANDER M. SORBER Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, FREDK STAUB.

